666: 3:16

|< < Prev Comic #666 (March 16, 2011)

3:16

Made by: Henning Makholm

Explanation

This strip attempts to use semi-random sampling to determine if the artistic quality of Garfield has gone down in recent times. This is done by taking the strips from March 16 of each year up to that point (furthered by the SRoMG strip being published on that date as well). The origin of this method is Don Knuth, who published a book declaring that chapter 3, verse 16 of most every book in the Bible was significant in some way.

For mezzacotta forumites, this strip was slightly disappointing - it was the fabled 666th one, corresponding to the Number of the Beast - yet it has no real reference to Satan or anything apocalyptic. That is, until Makholm revealed that the "lukewarm, neither hot nor cold" of the description was a reference to Revelations 3:16:

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

The author writes:

Averages and other statistical methods tend to overstate the staticness of Garfield strips. It's actually not all just the talking heads of Jon and Garfield. Perhaps random sampling will give a fairer impression? Here I'm trying a sampling method pioneered by Don Knuth, the patron saint of computer science.

The results are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. But they do seem to suggest a slight tendency for Garfield to become less visually interesting since about the millennium.

Original strips: 1979-03-16, 1980-03-16, 1981-03-16, 1982-03-16, 1983-03-16, 1984-03-16, 1985-03-16, 1986-03-16, 1987-03-16, 1988-03-16, 1989-03-16, 1990-03-16, 1991-03-16, 1992-03-16, 1993-03-16, 1994-03-16, 1995-03-16, 1996-03-16, 1997-03-16, 1998-03-16, 1999-03-16, 2000-03-16, 2001-03-16, 2002-03-16, 2003-03-16, 2004-03-16, 2005-03-16, 2006-03-16, 2007-03-16, 2008-03-16, 2009-03-16, and 2010-03-16.

Transcript

Garfield: Thanks for the exercise.
SFX: PUNT!
{Garfield on a ladder, reaching for a cooked chicken}
Garfield: It's time Jon had another date.
SFX: Kiss
Jon: Z
Garfield: Very few people can wear a mustache.
Jon: What does that mean?
Garfield: These game shows are disgusting.
SFX: CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
Odie: YIP!
Jon: Hello? Uh, I think you have the wrong number.
{Odie bounces past Garfield}
{Odie bends under backwards to follow a spider}
Garfield: I've lengthened my name ...
Garfield: Dogs are nature's way of telling us we could be worse off.
Irma: We're a bit slow today, hon.
Garfield: The late cat would prefer coffee, pancakes and a side of bacon.
SFX: Munch munch munch
Jon: Cream in you coffee, Garfield?
Jon: Your family never forgets.
Policeman: I'd say they've broken at least three city ordinances. Right, Bubba?
Other policeman: I didn't see nothin'. Let's get a doughnut.
Jon: GARFIELD!
{Odie with Garfield on fence-top, thinking deeply}
Jon: It's an endangered species list.
Garfield: Oh, it's not a menu?
Jon: There are many, many things I will never understand.
SFX: SLAM
Jon: AAAGGGHHHHH
Garfield: Only 59 minutes and 45 seconds to go.
Jon: ... or not ...
SFX: Doy-oy-oy-oing
Snail: I guess I'll park it here for tonight.
Jon: Ellen, I'm your man!
Spider: Boy howdy, he wasn't kidding.
{Jon listens to a somebody on the phone, smiling}
Garfield: This is it.
Jon: I'm looking mine up.